''Aequitas'' ( genitive ''aequitatis'') is the Latin concept of justice, equality, conformity, symmetry, or fairness. It is the origin of the English word "equity". In

ancient Rome In modern historiography, ancient Rome refers to Roman civilisation from the founding of the city of Rome in the 8th century BC to the collapse of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century AD. It encompasses the Roman Kingdom (753–509 BC ...

, it could refer to either the legal concept of equity, or fairness between individuals.

Cicero Marcus Tullius Cicero ( ; ; 3 January 106 BC – 7 December 43 BC) was a Roman statesman, lawyer, scholar, philosopher, and academic skeptic, who tried to uphold optimate principles during the political crises that led to the esta ...

defined ''aequitas'' as "tripartite": the first, he said, pertained to the gods above ''(ad superos deos)'' and is equivalent to ''

pietas ''Pietas'' (), translated variously as "duty", "religiosity" or "religious behavior", "loyalty", "devotion", or "filial piety" (English "piety" derives from the Latin), was one of the chief virtues among the ancient Romans. It was the distingui ...

'', religious obligation; the second, to the

Manes In ancient Roman religion, the ''Manes'' (, , ) or ''Di Manes'' are chthonic deities sometimes thought to represent souls of deceased loved ones. They were associated with the ''Lares'', '' Lemures,'' '' Genii'', and ''Di Penates'' as deities ( ...

, the underworld spirits or spirits of the dead, and was ''

sanctitas The vocabulary of ancient Roman religion was highly specialized. Its study affords important information about the religion, traditions and beliefs of the ancient Romans. This legacy is conspicuous in European cultural history in its influence o ...

'', that which is sacred; and the third pertaining to human beings ''(homines)'' was ''iustitia'', "justice". During the

Roman Empire The Roman Empire ( la, Imperium Romanum ; grc-gre, Βασιλεία τῶν Ῥωμαίων, Basileía tôn Rhōmaíōn) was the post- Republican period of ancient Rome. As a polity, it included large territorial holdings around the Mediter ...

, Aequitas as a divine personification was part of the religious propaganda of the

emperor An emperor (from la, imperator, via fro, empereor) is a monarch, and usually the sovereignty, sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife (empress consort), ...

, under the name ''Aequitas Augusti'', which also appeared on coins. She is depicted on coins holding a

cornucopia In classical antiquity, the cornucopia (), from Latin ''cornu'' (horn) and ''copia'' (abundance), also called the horn of plenty, was a symbol of abundance and nourishment, commonly a large horn-shaped container overflowing with produce, flowers ...

and a

balance scale A scale or balance is a device used to measure weight or mass. These are also known as mass scales, weight scales, mass balances, and weight balances. The traditional scale consists of two plates or bowls suspended at equal distances from a ...

''(libra)'', which was more often a symbol of "honest measure" to the Romans than of justice.Linderski, "Q. Scipio Imperator," p. 175.

References

Roman goddesses Commerce goddesses Equity (law) Personifications in Roman mythology {{AncientRome-myth-stub